You've seen them. You’ve probably walked past a dozen this week alone. Those multi-colored yard signs with the stacked white text starting with In This House We Believe. They’re the modern-day equivalent of a family crest, but instead of showing off a medieval lineage, they’re broadcasting a specific set of secular and social values. It’s a fascinating cultural phenomenon.
Honestly, it’s rare for a piece of graphic design to become so ubiquitous that it stops being an object and starts being a landmark. But that’s exactly what happened. These signs didn't just appear out of nowhere; they are a direct response to a very specific, very loud moment in American political history.
The Viral Origin of the In This House We Believe Manifesto
Most people assume some big marketing firm or a political PAC dreamed this up. Nope. It was actually a librarian in Wisconsin named Kristin Garvey. Back in late 2016, right after the U.S. presidential election, she scribbled these words on a piece of poster board. She wanted a way to tell her neighbors where she stood without necessarily picking a fight, though, in today's climate, even a yard sign can feel like a gauntlet thrown down.
The original text was simple:
- Black Lives Matter
- Women’s Rights are Human Rights
- No Human is Illegal
- Science is Real
- Love is Love
- Kindness is Everything
Garvey posted a photo of her handmade sign on Facebook. It went nuclear. People started asking for copies. Local printers got involved. Then Etsy happened. Suddenly, the "In This House We Believe" mantra was being printed on everything from mugs to tote bags to doormats. It’s a classic example of "vibe shift" captured in Helvetica.
Why the Design Stuck
The aesthetics matter here. Most political signs are ugly. They’re usually red, white, and blue with blocky fonts that scream at you. The "In This House" signs used a rainbow color scheme—not just the Pride rainbow, but a muted, almost "modern farmhouse" palette in some versions—that felt more like home decor than a campaign rally.
💡 You might also like: The Recipe Marble Pound Cake Secrets Professional Bakers Don't Usually Share
It’s genius, really. By framing political stances as "household beliefs," it moves the conversation from the voting booth to the living room. It’s saying, "This isn't just who I vote for; this is who I am."
The Cultural Friction and the Counter-Signs
Nothing in America stays one-sided for long. The ubiquity of the In This House We Believe sign inevitably sparked a reaction. If you drive through certain suburbs, you’ll see the "remixes."
Some people found the original signs condescending. Critics argued that phrases like "Science is Real" were "thought terminators"—phrases designed to end a conversation rather than start one. This led to a wave of parody signs. You might see versions that say, "In This House We Believe: Coffee is Life, Dogs are Better Than People, and Tacos are a Food Group."
But there are also more pointed conservative counter-signs. These often mirror the layout but change the text to things like:
- The Police are Essential
- The Unborn are Humans
- Borders are Necessary
- Biological Sex is a Fact
It’s a yard-sign arms race. What started as a single librarian’s declaration has turned into a visual shorthand for the "Great Sort," the sociological term for Americans moving into neighborhoods with people who think exactly like them.
📖 Related: Why the Man Black Hair Blue Eyes Combo is So Rare (and the Genetics Behind It)
The Criticism from the Inside
Here’s the part people don’t talk about as much: not everyone on the Left loves these signs either. There’s a growing critique that displaying an In This House We Believe sign is a form of "performative activism."
Basically, the argument is that putting a sign in your yard is easy. It makes you feel like you’ve "done something" without you actually having to volunteer, donate, or do the hard work of local organizing. In some high-income neighborhoods, you’ll see these signs on every lawn, yet the residents might still vote against affordable housing projects in that same neighborhood.
Writer and activist Omkari Williams has spoken about how "intent" isn't the same as "impact." A sign tells people you’re an ally, but for the people mentioned on the sign—like immigrants or the Black community—the sign doesn't actually change their material reality. It’s a fair point. Nuance is tricky.
The Psychology of Yard Signaling
Why do we do this? Why do we feel the need to put our internal moral compass on a 12x18 inch piece of corrugated plastic?
Psychologically, it’s about "in-group" signaling. Humans are tribal. We want to know who our people are. When you see that sign, you’re getting a high-speed data dump about that homeowner’s worldview. You know their stance on the environment, immigration, and gender.
👉 See also: Chuck E. Cheese in Boca Raton: Why This Location Still Wins Over Parents
It creates a "safe space" vibe for some and a "keep out" vibe for others. It’s fascinating because it’s a non-verbal way of setting boundaries. You’re telling the mailman, the neighbors, and the person walking their dog exactly what the "house rules" are before they even knock on the door.
Regional Variations and the Evolution of the Text
Depending on where you live, the text changes. In the Pacific Northwest, you’ll often see "Water is Life" added, a nod to Indigenous-led movements like the Standing Rock protests. In more religious areas, you might see "Kindness is Everything" replaced with "Love Thy Neighbor."
The sign has become a living document. It’s a template. It’s the "Choose Your Own Adventure" of political signaling.
Does It Actually Change Anything?
If you’re looking for data on whether yard signs flip votes, the evidence is... thin. A study published in the journal Electoral Studies found that yard signs might increase a candidate's share by about 1.7 percentage points. That’s not nothing, but it’s not a landslide.
But the In This House We Believe sign isn't a candidate sign. It’s an identity sign. Its goal isn't to get you to vote for John Smith; it's to normalize a set of social values. In that sense, its impact is harder to measure but likely more profound. It changes the "visual landscape" of a neighborhood. If you’re a queer kid growing up in a conservative town and you see that sign, it might mean the world to you. That’s a real, tangible impact that a data set can't quite capture.
Practical Steps for Expressing Your Values
If you’re thinking about putting up a sign—or if you already have one—consider how to move beyond the plastic on the lawn. Signs are a start, not a finish line.
- Check your local zoning laws. It sounds boring, but some HOAs are incredibly litigious about "political" signage. Know your rights before you stake your claim.
- Match the sign with action. If your sign says "Black Lives Matter," look into local bail funds or mentorship programs. If it says "Science is Real," support local STEM education.
- Engage with the "other" signs. If a neighbor has a sign that contradicts yours, don't just seethe. If you feel safe doing so, a simple "Hey, I noticed your sign, I'd love to hear why that's important to you" can do more to bridge a gap than a thousand yard signs ever could.
- Support the original creators. If you’re buying a sign, try to find the original designers or local printers rather than a massive faceless corporation.
- Be aware of the "Echo Chamber" effect. Recognize that your sign is likely only being "heard" by people who already agree with you. Real persuasion usually happens in person, not via lawn ornament.
The In This House We Believe movement is more than just a trend; it's a reflection of a deeply divided but deeply passionate culture. Whether you find them inspiring or irritating, they are a permanent fixture of the 21st-century American streetscape. They remind us that for many, the personal is political, and the political is now parked right next to the driveway.